Sleeping Beauty 2: Return to the Forest
by Lyger 0
Summary: Rose left the forest in something of a rush. Suppose one of her old friends came looking for her. Story is much better than the summary.
1. Prologue

**Sleeping Beauty 2: Return to the Forest**

Obligatory Disclaimer: Listen, if I owned any part of the Disney Corporation, I wouldn't be writing this for fun.

**_O_**_nce upon a time, though I'm not sure what time it was once upon, there lived a good king named Stefan and his queen. For many years they had longed for a child, and finally their prayers were answers. A daughter was born, and they named her Aurora. Yes, they named her after the dawn, for she filled their lives with sunshine. But their happiness was not to last. The evil fairy, Maleficent, cast a terrible curse upon the infant princess. Fearing for Aurora's life, Stefan and his queen entrusted her to the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather, and watched with heavy hearts as their most precious possession, their only child, disappeared into the night. Still, they retained hope, for they knew as long as Maleficent's domain, the Forbidden Mountains, thundered with her wrath and frustration, her evil prophecy had not yet been fulfilled._

**_M_**_eanwhile, the three good fairies kept Aurora safe in the forest. Living like mortals, they reared the child as their own, and called her Briar Rose..._

As dawn crept into the forest, the trees became alive with the sounds of birdsong and the snorts and snuffles of the day animals coming out of their sleeping places and starting their days. A mother deer led her fawn from the thicket where they spent their nights and cautiously headed for the meadow to graze. Some distance away, a family of wolves were basking in the morning sun and enduring the playful nips and tugs of the new litter of cubs that had blessed their leader's wife some weeks ago. Near the stream that flowed through the forest, a badger was clearing out his old bedding material as he cleaned his burrow, pausing only to snarl at a passing pair of foxes that this was HIS space, not theirs. In a hollow tree, an old owl groaned as his new neighbors, a pair of bluebirds expecting their eggs to hatch soon, kept singing and keeping him awake. All-in-all, just another day in the forest.

Not too far away, at a cottage that had once housed a human woodcutter, a most unusual inhabitant of the forest was starting her day. A little human girl, no older than five years, came out from the front door and, bidding goodbye to the three women inside, skipped barefoot into the forest.

Not far away from the cottage, another family had already been up for some time. Emerging from the entrance to their underground home under the roots of a huge oak tree, a father forest troll led his young son out into the sun for the first time in his five years of life. The young troll was eager to go out into the forest, but his father wanted to make sure his only son would be safe. "Now, my son, what have I told you?"

"There are many dangers in the forest, so I must always be careful. Don't wander too far and stay within shouting distance. If I see any strange creatures, don't talk to them. Come straight home. Can I go play now, Papa?"

"Okay, okay. Go have some fun." As the younger troll rushed off, his father remembered. "YMIR! Stay on the paths I marked for you!!"

A female troll emerged from the den, chuckling at her husband's antics. "Now, who does he remind you of?"

"Huh? What? Who?"

"He's just like you were when we were young."

"Exactly! Do you realize the dangers we put ourselves in?"

"You mean the dangers YOU put us in. He'll be fine."

Ymir stomped along through the forest, having the same kind of odd, noisy fun you'd expect from any five year old boy. Suddenly, his nose caught a scent. True to troll form, Ymir started to follow it, hoping to find the strange creature that had left it. As he was crawling inside a hollow log, a voice said, "Whatcha doin'?"

Not finding anything unusual with a voice coming from nowhere, Ymir saw no harm in answering. "Trackin'."

"Tracking what?"

"I don't know yet. Something I've never smelled before." As Ymir emerged from the other side of the log, he saw the strangest creature ever. In stood on its hind legs, like he did, but instead of green, its skin was a strange peach color. Unlike the brown or black hair of forest trolls, its hair was bright yellow. Its eyes were blue, as opposed to his yellow. Strangest of all, it was producing the scent Ymir had tracked all the way here. "Why it's...it's you. AROO-ROO-Rooo!"

"What did you do that for?" the creature asked.

"That's what I'm supposed to do, if I find what I was trackin'. What are you anyway?"

"I'm a little girl. My name's Rose."

"Mine's Ymir. I'm a troll!" With this, Ymir flexed his nonexistent muscles in an attempt to look imposing.

"You're funny. Will you play with me?"

"Okay." Ymir reached out with one finger and pressed it to Rose's nose. "TAGYOU'REIT!!" And promptly ran off.

Rose laughed out loud. "HEY! No fair! Come back!"

Meanwhile, the old owl, finally fed up, came to this part of the forest, hoping to find a quiet sleeping spot. It was then that he saw the two children. "Well...I'll be. A troll and a human, playing together."


	2. Chapter 1: A Tragic Discovery

** Chapter 1: A Tragic Discovery**

_ 11 years later..._

Dawn came as it always had in the forest. Ymir, now a perfect example of a sixteen-year-old male forest troll, gave a loud yawn as he stretched, driving the sleep from his bones. Running his claws through his hair, he looked around the glade where he had camped last night. Checking to make sure the cloth pouch he'd put into his ruck-sack was still there, he set off on a familiar trail. He paused only to let out a shrill whistle, not easy when one has tusks growing up from his bottom jaw.

With a loud screech, a mighty golden eagle answered the whistle and swooped down to land on Ymir's shoulder. Now, because of the huge talons this breed of eagle is famous for, this would have been a VERY painful experience for you or me, but thanks to Ymir's extra-thick troll hide, he didn't even feel it. Still walking, he pulled a strip of dried meat from his sack and offered it to the bird, who eagerly snapped it up. "Good morning, Ayden. How'd you sleep?"

Ayden gulped down his breakfast and ruffled his feathers before answering. "Alright, I guess. There was a lot of weird stuff going on last night, boss. You know the human city not too far from here?"

"I do, though I try not to think about it."

"Well, last night it looked like there was some kind of celebration going on around sunset. There was music, banners, fireworks, all the trimmings!"

"How is that any different from how those human royals usually live?"

"I was getting to that. The weird part was, everything just stopped. It was like everyone just fell asleep all at once, still standing up yet! Then there was this storm out of nowhere, a forest of giant thorn bushes pops outta the ground, and there was a dragon...what?"

Ymir fixed his familiar with a hard glare. "You ate meadow voles for dinner last night, didn't you?"

"I SWEAR I wasn't dreaming! It really happened!"

"Yeah, and so did the incident with the blue unicorn with the rainbow mane and a cloud tattooed on her hindquarters."

"...You are never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope. Besides, we have other things to think about. We have a party to attend. Hope Rose doesn't mind us being fashionably late."

"Rose? Mind? After all the trouble you went to just to get her a nice gift for her big one-six? NEVER! Gee, I sure hope her aunt Merriweather made the cake this year."

"Me, too. Maybe she made that special spiced sugar cake we love so much." At this point, Ymir began pushing aside bushes. "We'll know soon enough, Ayden, old friend. We should see the cottage right about...oh, by the gods, no..."

The old cottage was in shambles. The windows were smashed, the door thrown off its hinges; broken furniture lay strewn about the floor, good for little more than kindling now. Worst of all, Rose and her aunts were gone.

Ymir looked up from where he was examining the floor, taking care to remain slightly bent, so as not to hit his head on the ceiling. "This place reeks of goblin stink. I'm counting a dozen of the vermin at least."

Ayden gulped from his perch on the windowsill. "You don't suppose one of Maleficent's raiding parties got her, do you, boss?"

"No. The scent trail Rose and her aunts left is an hour old, at least, before the goblins show up." At this point, Ymir began pacing around the cottage's living room, or what was left of it, anyway, using his keen sense of smell to reconstruct the events as they happened. "The goblins show up, looking for a fight. They're surprised that the cottage is empty. Not ten minutes later, a horse, a stallion, shows up outside and a human man gets off. He walks right up to the door, lingers a moment or two, and comes in. The goblins jump him and he struggles before they finally use sheer weight of numbers to subdue him. They bind him and lead him away toward the west...toward the Forbidden Mountains."

"But...we can't go there! It's one of our highest laws!"

"I don't see why you think we even would, Ayden. If this fellow was foolish enough to be out in the forest after nightfall, he deserves whatever Maleficent does to him. Our concern is with Rose, and her scent heads out to the north. We must go there."

The two friends set off without hesitation. Ymir followed the scent trail laid down by Rose and her aunts the previous evening. Every so often, he would place his nose near the ground and inhale sharply to refresh the scent. Whatever was happening, it had made Rose upset, and that, in turn, had upset her aunts. What was it, he wondered. What had made his friend so unhappy on her birthday? There was no sign of anyone else with them, so wherever Rose and her aunts had gone, it was by their own free will. Ymir became so intent on his brooding, he failed to notice that he and Ayden were heading deeper into unfamiliar parts of the forest. He probably would've continued this way, had he not felt Ayden pulling on his ear. "YAGH! What is it?!"

"Boss, don't look now, but one more step and we're entering human territory." Ayden was right, as usual. Ymir remembered this place from his father's lessons when he was younger. His father had explained how, beyond this grove, was the world of men, and how Ymir must never go there. Even now, looking at the faraway hills the partially hid the stone fortress humans called a palace, Ymir recalled one such conversation.

"Papa, why does grandpa get so grumpy about Rose? I like her."

"So do I, son. Rose is a wonderful human. Still, she IS a human. One day, you will understand that."

"When, Papa? When will I understand?"

"Heh. If growing up were easy, would it take so long?"

Ymir did grow to understand. Humans, most of them, anyway, were prejudiced creatures. They feared and hated anything they did not understand. Still, Rose was not like that. Ymir would not let her fall prey to the corrupt ways of man's so-called civilization. He stepped forward and kept moving.

"Boss? What are you doing?!"

"I'm going after Rose, and nothing you can say or do is going to stop me."

"Oh, yeah? What if I said….blargin fagdiddle nohib?!"

"…Well, I have to admit, that slowed me down. Still, I'm going on."

"We're all going to die."

The two friends had hadn't gone far when Ymir's large ears perked up. He heard something that unsettled him. Thinking quickly, he hid behind a group of trees at the edge of the clearing. Ayden flew up into a branch overhead and watched the action unfold. Three men on horseback rode into the clearing, each carrying a falcon on his arm, royalty by the looks of them. One was a tall, thin man with a black goatee. The second was huge man; his torso looked more like a ball than a chest and stomach and wasn't helped by the flowing clothes he wore. He had a bushy white mustache that attached to the sideburns of his equally white hair. It was the third that caught Ymir's attention. He was younger than the other two and was probably what human women considered handsome, with his blue eyes, shaven face and short brown hair. What Ymir noticed, however, was his SCENT!

Ymir gave a loud snort and whispered to Ayden, so as not to be heard. "That's HIM! That's the man from the cottage!"

"Which one? The beanpole or the walrus?"

"Neither of them, you feather-brain! HIM! The cub in the red cape."

"Really? He doesn't look like much. How do you suppose he escaped?"

"That isn't important just now. What is important is he and his friends came from the same direction where Rose went. They might know something. Now, to find a way…" Ymir's attention was drawn to the falcons the men were using to catch small game. "Hmm…Ayden, you wouldn't mind sailing down there and…"

"Not interested."

"Oh, c'mon! I'm only asking you to…"

"Humiliate myself! I'll do a lot of stuff for you, boss, but this is where I draw the line! Never in a million years!"

"AYDEN!" Ymir grinned devilishly. "Do it, or I'll turn you into a human."

"HA! You wouldn't dare!"

"I will! So help me, I will!"

"Alright! OK! I'm going. But what are you going to do?"

"Me? I have some hunting to do." Ayden took Ymir's answer at face value and flew off toward the clearing. Ymir smirked as he watched his friend fly away. "Works every time. Just like magic.

_To be continued…_

"_Remember, reviews are appreciated. No flames, please."_


	3. Revleations by Moonlight

Chapter 3: Revelations by Moonlight

Chapter 3: Revelations by Moonlight

The Forbidden Mountains were scary just to look at the best of times; tall, jagged peaks of bare rock that jutted from the ground with none of the usual foothills and other niceties that are usually associated with a mountain range. Long before Maleficent had made her home there, stories had been told of how the mountains were swarming with monsters, demons and dragons! Since the evil Fae had set up her fortress on the highest peak of the range, no human dared come within miles of the place. Even most of the immortal creatures only risked trekking the mountains, and the army of goblinoids Maleficent employed as a private security force, when they had no other choice. Now, however, there was one immortal that NEEDED to be here.

Ready for anything, Ymir stepped through the magic portal, his mage's staff high in the air, ready to cast a spell in any direction from which enemies may strike. To his surprise, there was no one there. The lingering scent of goblins was hours old, with no sign of fresh movement. Ymir trekked up toward the stone fortress of Maleficent, only to receive further surprise. Never in the best of condition to begin with, the ancient castle keep Maleficent used as a base of operations was now in ruin, seemingly torn apart from the inside. Bodies of dead goblins lay scattered about, each corpse bearing marks from a single sword-strike. All about the place lay the aroma of dragon fire.

Finally, at the bottom of a cliff, Ymir found what he was looking for. Pinned to the ground by a shining sword lay the ebon-black cloak of Maleficent, Mistress of Evil. Her body, as the Fair Folk's are bound to do, had dissolved away, back into the pure, wild magic from which she'd been formed. Her cloak was all that remained of her physical form. _ Still, _Ymir thought, _the great Maleficent brought down by a human boy's sword? I smell something suspicious. __Ymir_ reached out a hand to the sword and mumbled in an old troll dialect under his breath. The sword began to glow with a pale blue light, reacting to the magic Ymir sent toward it. Ymir stared at the glow, knowing full well what it meant. "Star metal? How? The last human who knew how to forge it died millennia ago. This bares further investigation." Ymir pulled the sword from the ground, its resistance and the rock's solidity nothing in comparison to the strength of a troll, and prepared to leave. He then stopped and looked back at Maleficent's cloak. Pointing his staff at it he mumbled another spell, causing the cloak to burst into flame. In moments, the last testament of Maleficent's life was gone, reduced to ash.

Meanwhile, back at the clearing, Ayden was berating himself over his current situation as he circled far over the heads of the three humans below on the warm, rising air. "I just have to come out and say it. No means no. I am sick and tired of being the tool for Ymir's harebrained schemes. It was bad enough growing up with him and Rose going on all sorts of crazy adventures, and me having to tag along. I'd say 'I don't want to go in that spooky cave,' and Rose would be, 'Don't be afraid, nothing will happen,' and then I say 'Ok,' and, finally, 'ROWWOOAARR!! AAAAAHHH!' LIFE-THREATENING DANGER!! You would really think they'd have outgrown this by now, but NO!" Ayden shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had a mission, and by Simorgh, mother of all birds, he was going to carry it out. Focusing the keen eyes that make eagles and their relatives famous among birds on the hunting party below, Ayden waited for his chance to begin phase one of Operation Fly & Spy.

His chance came sooner than he'd thought. Unable to stand the pressure of having to hide any longer, a single pheasant burst out of the tall grass and took to the air, desperate to get away. The younger human released his falcon and it set off after the bird. Now, Ayden had competed with falcons over prey most of his life, so this was just business as usual to him. Before the smaller raptor could climb to the height necessary to pull off its famous dive, Ayden folded his wings and went into a free-fall of his own. Predatory instincts at full strength, Ayden struck forward with his talons, catching the pheasant in the back and pulled back up with his prize just a few feet above the ground. Now, completely contour to nature, Ayden flew to where the young human sat amazed on his horse and dropped the bird into his lap.

Prince Phillip watched in amazement as the eagle not only beat his prize falcon to its quarry, but then brought the pheasant to him! "Well, hello there," he said as the huge bird settled on his leather mitt, leaving a very put-off falcon to hover overhead squawking angrily. "You're a friendly fellow, aren't you?" The eagle gave a loud screech and bobbed its head up and down. "Oh, and you're smart, too! You know, I bet Aurora would LOVE you. C'mon, Samson, let's get back to the palace." The white stallion, who had been eyeing the wild bird with some suspicion, turned at his master's command and headed for home. Phillip regarded the bird, which was now preening the feathers on his wings. "You know, you seem too nice a fellow to be stuck here in the forest. You'll like the royal aviary."

After Maleficent's death, her army of goblinoids had done what came naturally…they CELEBRATED! None of them had ever wanted to work for the evil witch, but she had threatened their lives and forced them into service. With the arrival of her death in the form of the very human they had captured, the little beasts had ransacked her fortress of anything of value they could find and headed for their homelands and villages. Examples of this were the two goblins playing at a dice game in a clearing of the forest. The current sucker….uh, customer, was a large dwarf with a long red beard. All around the players were assembled various creatures of the forest, including members of the High Guard of the Forest Elves.

"SEVEN," cried the beaked goblin as his dice once again came up on the winning combo. His horned companion cheered and began to strum his lute in a victory tune. The two friends danced in celebration, unaware of the Dwarf trying to get their attention.

"Tons of gold for you," (Hey!)

"Tons of gold for me," (HEY!)

"Tons of gold for WE!" (HEY!!)

"One more roll," shouted the angry Dwarven miner. His friends began to nod in agreement. Dwarves are notoriously poor losers.

The two goblins looked at each other, and the beaked one pointed out, "Fellas, you're BROKE! You got nothin' to bet with!"

The Dwarf looked back smugly. "Oh, yeah? I got this." Out his pocket, he pulled a folded piece of parchment, which he opened to reveal...

"A map?"

"A map to the legendary treasure of the Forty Thieves themselves."

The horned goblin took the parchment and began to look it over, pulling his companion closer. After examining the map closer, he whispered conspiratorially, "Tubal, the treasure of the Forty Thieves. Enough to last ten lifetimes! This could be our destiny. Our FATE!"

"Marcus, if I believed in fate, I wouldn't play with loaded dice!" Tubal glared at his old friend, only to hesitate as his friend gave him the, as they affectionately called it, Puppy Dog Pout. "OH, not the face! Ok, fine!"

The Dwarf took this moment to snatch his map back. "I said one more roll; my map against your cash." Smirking, Tubal readied his dice, only to be stopped by the Dwarf's outstretched hand, which held two dice of his own. "NOT with those. This time, we use MY dice. Got a problem with that?"

Tubal glared at Marcus, whose face said, "Don't blame me."

Tubal's face said, "I BLAME you!" He took the Dwarf's dice and began to rub them in his hands. "C'mon, baby. Papa NEEDS that crappy map. Show...me...SEVEN!" The clearing was silent as the two cubes rolled to a stop on..."SEVEN! There it is!" As Marcus snatched up the map, Tubal fell to his chest and began to scoop up the gold and gems they'd won into his pockets. "Well, pleasure doing business with you."

So happy was Tubal that he didn't even notice as his own dice fell from his shirt pocket and rolled to a stop in front of the Dwarf, who'd been mourning the loss of his day's work in the mines, and landed, once again, on seven. The Dwarf, seeing the dice, began to pound the ground, knocking them into the air. Each time, they came down on seven. **"I KNEW IT!!"** he shot up and pointed at the two goblins. **"YOUR DICE ARE LOADED!!"**

Tubal looked around. Grasping Marcus by the shoulders, he said, with a look of utter shock and betrayal on his face, "You gave me loaded dice?" Practically in tears, he turned to the Elvin guard behind him and wailed, "He gave me LOADED dice! GUARD, arrest that man!"

Marcus looked utterly repulsed. "You DARE impugn my honor? HE'S the one who was cheating! He tricked these dwarves and took their money!" He snatched the sword of a nearby guard and pointed its blade at Tubal. "En garde, sir!"

Tubal reached for a weapon of his own. "En garde, yourself. I will give you the honor of a quick and painless DEATH!" The perfect drama of the moment was ruined by the fact that Tubal had only grabbed his guard's dagger. "But not with that." Drawing the sword this time he chortled, "I prefer to fight fairly."

The air filled with the sound of clashing steel as the two goblins engaged in one of the most amazing sword duels anyone in the forest had seen in a very long time. The parries, lunges, thrusts and strokes were so perfectly matched that, if you hadn't seen the two goblins begin to fight, you'd swear they had rehearsed the whole thing. Marcus countered Tubal's strike and made with one of his own. As Tubal blocked the blow, Marcus began to scale a fallen tree into the lower branches of one that was still standing. Now with the advantage of height, Marcus taunted, "HA! You fight like my sister!"

Tubal, now climbing up himself, countered, "I FOUGHT your sister. That's a compliment."

The two goblins, now dueling high overhead in the branches of the tree, continued to yell and insult each other as they fought. Marcus sneered as Tubal blocked his thrust and ducked under a slash. "You mincing, fencing TWIT!"

"BRAGGARD!"

"HEATHEN!" Enraged, Marcus struck at Tubal with all his strength, and began to force him back. Finally, Tubal was down on his back and Marcus knocked his sword from his hand and caught it himself. ("KILL HIM," sounded a cry from below.) Marcus glared at Tubal, raised both swords high and…threw them back down directly in front of the crowd of onlookers. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've decided it's a draw!"

Tubal laughed and pulled a small crystal from his pocket. As he passed his hand over it, he said, "You've been a great audience. Thank you all for coming!" Just like that, the two con-artist goblins were gone. Teleported away from danger.

Some miles away, the two goblins reappeared in their campsite, laughing at their good fortune. As Marcus went to check on Bill, the pony they used to carry what possessions they had, Tubal placed his teleportation crystal back in his pocket. "Nothing like a Flux Gem to get out of a sticky situation, eh, partner?" When Marcus didn't answer, Tubal looked too see his old friend and his blasted horse staring over his shoulders with looks of terror on their faces. "There's something creepy standing right behind me, isn't there?" Tubal gave a pathetic squeak of terror as he was roughly picked up by the back of his neck and flipped around to face a very familiar looking troll. "YMIR! Hi! How you doing, buddy?"

"Don't you 'buddy' me," growled Ymir in his most threatening voice. "I didn't come looking for you two for small talk. I came for information. Briar Rose, my dearest friend in the entire world, is missing…and the stink of you and your friends is all over her house!! I want to know what happened _or so help me __**I will RIP your ears off and feed them to you!!"**_

__"OK, I'll talk," Tubal squawked. "There was this girl. Maleficent was looking for her for years, apparently. Something to do with a curse or something. One day, she sent out that raven of hers and he came back; said he found where she was being hidden. Maleficent took a whole bunch of us to this little cottage out in the middle of the woods. I SWEAR on my mother's grave, Ymir, if I had known that was your friend's house…" Tubal shut up as Ymir jerked him closer to his own face.

"Swearing on your mother's grave, Tubal, for shame. We both know your mother's living in Eire and healthy as a horse."

"Just a bit of dramatic emphasis. No need to take offense. Anyway, we get to the cottage, but it's deserted. Then, this human male, some prince or whatever, shows up. Maleficent made us capture him and take him back to the fortress. She left and came back later in a better mood than I ever saw her in before. You know, when she doesn't look like she has a bad smell under her nose, she's really quite attractive."

"Keep singing, bird-face."

"Right, sorry. Got off topic there for a minute. Anyway, somehow, this prince guy escapes. He has this shield and sword out of nowhere and fights his way past all of us. He runs off and Maleficent goes after him herself. Finally, he throws the sword at her and kills her deader than a doornail. That's all I know, I swear!"

Ymir considered these words. "You had better be telling the truth. If I find out you're lying to me, I'll be back." With that, Ymir vanished, leaving Tubal to fall on his backside.

Marcus rushed to his friend's side. "What was that about? I've never seen anyone that angry other than Maleficent."

"Me, either, outside of a wildcat." Tubal noticed Marcus pulling a familiar looking piece of parchment out of his pocket. "Is that the map? You KEPT the map but you couldn't grab a little of the gold?!" As Marcus began walking off with his nose in the map, Tubal saw Bill trying to wander in the other direction. He grabbed the pony's bridle and pulled him back. "Oh, no. You're coming with us. OUCH! Marcus, your horse bit me on the butt!!"

"Oh, every time he misbehaves, suddenly he's MINE."

Meanwhile, Ayden had made great progress in locating Rose. As people went through the aviary, they would keep talking, never thinking of the many avian ears listening in. It seemed that the boy Ayden had charmed, Phillip by name, had met a girl in the woods and was now preparing to marry her. Now, Rose was the only human girl Ayden recalled seeing in the forest, so it was only right for him to assume this was her.

Later that night, three hours past sunset to be exact, Ayden flew out of the aviary (Much to the dismay of his fellow fowl who had no clue they could leave willingly.). He felt blind in the dark, but he would do his best to find Rose. "Yeah, brilliant idea, boss," he grumbled. "Tell me to look at night! What does he think I am; an owl?!" He sighed. "Okay, which window is hers?" With a slow sweep, he dove down to skim along the open windows. "Rose!" he hissed. "If you're awake and can hear me, give me a sign! You know I can barely see at night! Oh for Pete's sake...She sleeps like the dead! WAKE UP!"

Right behind him a window opened. Rose leaned out and called, "Ayden? Is that you? I'm here!"

Shaking away his grumpiness, the eagle had to chuckle. "Thank the gods she keeps her hair so clean. In this moon, it flashes like a beacon!" He turned sharply on a thermal and swooped back around. "Oh, still as pretty as ever!" he gushed as he perched on the window's jutting, stone ledge. Wanting to make her blush, he continued, "Lips that shame the red, red rose!" He smiled fondly at the memory. "What are you doing here, away from our forest?"

Rose pursed her lips in an expression that was a mix of shame and thoughtfulness. She gently stroked the feathers atop the great bird's head. "It's… It's a long story, Ayden."

Ayden ruffled his feathers and settled down more comfortably. "I got time. Ymir's asleep by now and I wasn't spending the night with those brainless, in-bred birds your boyfriend seems so keen on." He sniffed disdainfully.

Rose giggled into her palm. "I keep trying to tell Phillip I hate seeing the poor things locked up like that, but his family has a long history of falconry. By the way they talk, you'd think the men actually fly up and catch the game themselves. "Her smile faded." I'm so sorry to have left suddenly like that, Ayden." Her voice grew sharp. "I wanted to stay! Oh, how I wanted to go back to our forest!" She stroked him lovingly as she frowned. "I was taken to this place against my will."

Ayden perked up. "Well, why didn't you say so? I'll fly back, get some of my relatives, we'll have you home by morning!" He spread his mighty wings to take off.

"Wait!" she cried, making him turn and nearly lose his balance. "It's...It's not so easy." She hung her head in shame. "I have a duty here, to serve my people. And I..." She faltered, a pink blush coloring her pale cheeks. "I'm in love, Ayden."

"Duty? What are you talking about? Love? You barely know this guy! Are you sure it's not just physical attraction?" He shook his head. "Look. Back-up. Start at the beginning!"

Rose bit her bottom lip. "I met him…out in the forest," she began tentatively. "When we danced it was as if I'd met him before, in a dream." In a frustrated huff, she quickly added, "I can't really explain it! It was love at first sight. Part was physical, yes. But it was so much more than that. His sense of humor… His loving nature... It was like nothing I'd ever felt before." She looked wistfully off at the stars, but then frowned thoughtfully.

"Then I learned I was the crown princess and was betrothed to a prince here in the kingdom. I cried so hard that night. I sobbed all the way here. You have no idea how many tears I shed. I wanted to be back in the forest, away from the cold stones of this oppressive castle, away from the immense crowd of people. I was so claustrophobic! This dirty, smelly city full of its man made things, away from my beloved forest. It was suffocating!"

Ayden gave her an understanding nod. "That's why birds fly. You can't feel crowded in the sky." A thought struck him. "Wait...A _princess_? Where in Asguard did that come from?! What does that make your aunts?"

"They weren't really my aunts," she explained, shaking her head and sending her curls bouncing from shoulder to chin. "Not in the blood relationship way, at least. They were three fairies sent to protect me and watch over me. An evil fairy wanted to kill me as revenge. Apparently, my parents didn't invite her to my christening. I was cursed to die on my 16th birthday. But my three 'aunts' protected me."

"A death curse for not getting invited to a party? I'm an animal and even I find that a tad extreme."

She chuckled. "She was a bit of a drama queen. I was supposed to prick my finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel--of all things--and die. But one of my aunts saved me by changing the curse slightly. I would prick my finger, but only fall into a deep sleep. I would be awakened by my true love's kiss. "With a blush, she looked skyward wistfully.

"I'm guessing this had something to do with that brouhaha up in the mountains the other night. I mean, my relatives will be picking dead goblins clean for weeks."

The blond princess nodded. "Phillip came looking for me, not knowing I'd been taken to the castle. The evil fairy caught him and imprisoned him. When I fell into my slumber, my aunts set him free and he came after me. Unfortunately, the wicked fairy had plans of her own. She battled him as a fierce dragon. At least, that's what I'm told." She shrugged. "Honestly, I kind of thought he was embellishing things a little. You know how men can be when they get a little macho. Her goons were slaughtered after her defeat to stop any plans to resurrect her."

"Wow! Lucky we didn't get to the cottage. Ymir made a gift for you, but he had to go to some dwarves he knows to get a gemstone for it. When we got to the cottage this morning, we found the place torn apart! You had Ymir pretty worried; I don't need to tell you."

A tear of shame rolled down her cheek. "Oh no! I didn't want to leave him! Can you tell him I'm okay?" she pleaded. "If I can write a note, can you deliver it to him? I want to tell him I miss him so much!" She suddenly brightened. "I know! I could meet him in the forest!"

"Okay. But don't get used to this." He added smugly, "I'm an eagle, not a homing pigeon."

She chuckled and threw her arms around him in a hug, taking him completely by surprise. For a moment he lost his composure, squawking and flapping furiously. "You humans and your…cuddling!"

Laughing it away, Rose rolled her eyes. "No one could ever ask for a dearer friend, Ayden." With a smile, the princess dashed to her desk. Quickly, she scribbled down a quick note. Then she bounded back and held it claw level to him. "Let him know I want to see him again," she instructed. She kissed his feathered head lightly. "Thank you so much, old friend."

The eagle waited patiently as she tied the letter to his leg, lest he accidentally drop it. "Okay, okay!" He shook himself as if to rid himself of human germs. "Don't get all mushy. I still have _some_ dignity, you know. At least, I like to believe I do." He managed to smirk. "I'll tell Ymir to meet you in the usual place." He spread his golden wings and prepared for takeoff. "Have a good night, sweet princess! May you dream of our forest days!" Catching a warm wind, he lifted and soared.

Rose could, however, still hear him grumbling. "Stupid darkness...AH! BAT! I hate those things!" He shuddered. "Ewww! They feel like they're in my feathers! Lousy rats with wings. Fluttering around like they were kings of the night...Ugh!" He continued ranting until he was too far into the distance for her to hear.

Rose just shook her head and chuckled. Good old Ayden. Thoughtfully she sighed and continued watching the stars twinkle. Honestly, she had been thinking of her old friend quite often. She missed him. At night she relived those fond memories of playing hide and seek in the forest, splashing in the pond, taking long walks, and going berry picking.

Suddenly, she was struck by an idea. What if she brought Phillip? They would be fast friends, she knew it! Looking forward to the morn', she quietly closed her window and scampered to her canopy bed.

A half hour and a zigzagging flight later, Ayden reached Ymir's den. Unfortunately with his poor night vision he didn't notice the entrance was closed until he was a foot away.

"Ymir! The door! The door! OPEN THE DOOR!"

"Huh?" The troll twisted the knob and the force of the great bird hitting the faded wood sent both of them crashing to the floor. Pushing himself up, Ymir had to chuckle. "Nice of you to drop in, Ayden."

"Oh, ha ha!" After getting up and shaking himself, Ayden held out the leg with the note tied to it. "Why, Ayden, have you been tanning?"

"Just take the stupid note!"

"Okay, okay, Ayden" Ymir chuckled and untied the parchment. After taking a minute to read it, he nodded. "Thanks. I owe you for this one."

Preening his wing feathers, the eagle scoffed, "Add it to the list. I couldn't let you mope around. Someone's gotta look out for you, ya big hairball." He did a double take as Ymir shoved some jars and a towel into a drawstring bag, put on his cloak, and walked out the door. "Hey! Where are you going?" he squawked, hobbling out after him.

Ymir turned and shut the door after the raptor had ambled out. "The lake. I can't meet Rose covered in dirt and smelling of sweat! I need a bath something awful." He set out on an old, familiar worn trail.

Ayden sprang up and onto his shoulder. Leaning down, he sniffed. "Oh, I thought we had a dead skunk stuck under the burrow again. But it's just you! Ha heh heh!"

Ymir snorted. "I get you for that later, you overgrown featherhead. I'm in too good a mood right now. Yes, sir. Tomorrow, everything will be just like old times. Me and Briar Rose, the two best friends who ever lived."

Ayden gave a nervous chuckle. "Right, old times. Ymir, buddy, you do realize that Rose has someone else in her life now, right?"

"I am aware of that, Ayden," Ymir said as he began to clean beneath his claws. "Still, if Rose likes him, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt." Ayden smiled, at least, as much as a bird could smile. Whoever had spread those stories of wicked trolls who liked to eat people and goats had never met his buddy, Ymir. The troll continued, "Still, if he ever hurts Rose or threatens the safety of our forest in any way…**I'll curse him for 1,000 years!!"** Then again, maybe they weren't that far off.

_ Author's notes 1. I'd like to thank Aquarian Wolf for her help with this chapter. Couldn't do this without your support, Myrriah! 2. Before anyone says anything, yes, some of this is copied from other works. This is intended as homage, not plagiarism. See if you can spot them. I warn you, they're not all so easy. Reviews are appreciated._


	4. Uneasy Introductions

**Chapter 4: Uneasy Introductions.**

As the sun rose over the royal stables, the silence of morning was broken by the loud crows of Chanticleer, the rooster. _**"DAWN,"**_ the black cock cried out. **_"DAWN HAS COME! AWAKEN AND BEGIN THE NEW DAY!!"_**As the other animals began to stretch and get up, Chanticleer strutted back to the henhouse, and chased out the last of his hens that were still roosting inside. As the hens exited, Chanticleer returned to his own nest and settled down. "Why me? That I, alone, should be responsible for waking up this whole barnyard is beyond me." With that, the rooster closed his eyes to get a few more minutes sleep.

"Come!" Rose smiled, the radiance shaming the sun. Before Phillip could let out so much as a syllable, she took his hand and broke out into long, graceful strides. Curious and confused, the prince only laughed and had to jog to keep up.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, out of breath.

"To see my friends!" she answered cheerfully. They had made it to the back of the castle grounds, where only the servants went and where the animals were kept. The stables, pens, and barn were a far cry from those found on the land of peasants. Here and there, there was a touch of royalty--intricate designs of crowns carved into the woodwork, the animals' names emblazed on banners, and some creatures even had heraldic family crests.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand the bull came out from his stall to see the section of fence he liked to use as a scratching post was already in use. It was Lorenzo, the prize boar. He had his high shoulder up against the post and was rubbing away at it like crazy. Ferdinand looked into the stable, where Lorenzo's wife, Daisy, was suckling her new litter of piglets. "What's wrong with him? He got fleas or something?"

"Darned if I know. He's been at that for a half-hour at least."

Lorenzo panted, "I just can't reach this itch!! UGH! If I could just lean a little more to the left..." Just then, a look of sheer relief came to the pig's face. The itch was gone, replaced by the sensation of fingers running through the bristly hairs on his back.

"How's that," came a gentle voice that sounded like birdsong on a summer's day.

Lorenzo sighed and leaned into the delightful scratching. "Ahh...Much better, thank you. I thought that itch would never go away." The huge boar walked out and turned to look at the person who'd helped him. She was a beautiful human woman, if a pig can be such a judge. In fact, she looked a great deal like Queen Leah, but her scent was completely different. It spoke of summers spent sleeping in trees, running with deer and wolves. She smelled of the forest...of a freedom domestic animals can only dream of.

The woman smiled. "You're very welcome. I know how bad an itch you can't reach can be."

Lorenzo's beady eyes popped wide open. "Wait...you can understand me? You actually know what I'm talking about?!"

Rose laughed and nodded.

With this announcement, the sleepy barnyard had erupted in grunts, howls, whinnies, and screeches of joy. Daisy left her stall and came out to see this strange human who could speak to animals. Her children squealed in complaint at first, but, like all young kids, were quickly distracted by the thought of playtime outside. By a banquet table sized trough, the huge hogs turned their nostrils in the ground in what looked to Phillip like an attempt at a bow. When the small herd of piglets continued rooting and wallowing in the mud, the parents gave sharp grunts and the litter clumsily mimicked the adults, albeit, there was a lot more shoving one another.

Resting her elbows on a fencepost, Rose looked into the pen and smiled. "Now, now, there's no need for that."

Daisy tiredly smirked back. "I will not raise my young to have disrespect for royalty." After a playful scoff she added, "They already have enough disrespect for their poor parents. There's got to be some authority around here." On cue, the piglets crowded their mother, oinking and begging for milk. With a sigh, she laid on her side. "A word of advice Rosie, don't have more than fifteen. They get real pushy. They think they can overpower you." She winked.

The princess coughed and cleared her throat at the same time with a blush. "Uh, thank you for your wise advice, good mother." She gave Phillip's sleeve little tugs, giving an indiscreet signal it was time to move on.

"Anytime, dearie," the sow said as the couple walked away. "Gerald!" she snapped. "Don't steal from your little sister!"

"Which one?" the little pig replied smartly.

"All of them!"

Phillip's mind tried to process what had just happened. "Rose," he chuckled, she had insisted he call her by the name she had gone by for sixteen years, and he had to admit, it sounded better than Aurora, "it sounded like you were actually talking to them!"

"Of course I was." It was nonchalant. "You talk to Samson, don't you?"

His eyes grew wide. "Well, yes, but… I've never understood him when he talks back!" He arched an eyebrow. "You are…something special, Rose."

She blushed and turned to look down at the dirt. "It's easy. You just have to listen. They love to talk if someone will just listen." She felt two of his fingers lift her chin up towards his face and her cheeks flushed. She pushed up on her tiptoes and her lips met his. Every kiss felt like the magical one that had awakened her.

There was a shy pause after they broke apart, but Phillip couldn't stop his grin. "You are something special, Rose," he repeated in a whisper, stroking her cheek.

Hardly able to speak in her fit of bashfulness and blushing, she clasped his hand. "Truthfully, I brought you back here because I need to take you to see another friend." She looked from left to right conspiratorially. Lowering her voice, she hissed, "I didn't want to chance anyone hearing. I need to take you into the woods, and you can't repeat anything of what you hear or see." She tapped the side of her nose. "Top secret."

He imitated the gesture. "Mum's the word."

Grinning, she took his hand and broke once again into her fast stride, making him struggle to keep up.

Phillip couldn't help but glance around at the part of the forest Rose had brought him to. Ancient trees grew close together, their gnarled branches interweaving with each other. Shafts of sunlight burst through the leaves, creating a look of enchantment on the dust motes that spun through the air. While it was very lovely, it also stirred a sense of foreboding in Phillip's gut. His mind began to play tricks on him. Phillip had the feeling he was being watched, but no matter which way he turned, there was nothing there. He began to hear voices whispering in the underbrush.

"_What is it?"_

"_It's a human! A real human is right here in the forest!"_

"_It's HIDEOUS!!"_

"_It has no feathers!"_

"_It has no HAIR!"_

"_What's he doing with our Briar Rose?"_

"_Quiet, everyone! He'll hear us."_

Phillip shook his head to clear his mind. Those voices couldn't be real. There was clearly no one around. Still, it didn't hurt to be cautious. "Rose," he asked, "where exactly did you say we were going?"

"I told you, silly. I'm taking you to see my very dearest friend."

"Is it the owl? I've met the owl…and the rabbits…and the squirrels…you had a very interesting childhood."

The blonde princess laughed into her palm. "It's none of them. Come. Not much further now." She pointed to a small clearing up ahead surrounded by towering elm trees. "That is where we are to meet him. Now, please remember, he's very shy around humans."

"What did he think you were; a badger?"

"Hush, you. We're here." Rose stepped out into the clearing. "Ymir? Ymir, are you here, old friend?"

"Rose? Thank goodness you're safe." Phillip darted his head around. He heard the voice, but didn't see who was making it. And what a voice! It was impossibly deep and rumbled like thunder. If a mountain had a voice this would be what it sounded like! There was a deep rumbling sound, and Phillip had the sneaky suspicion he had just been growled at. "What is HE doing here?"

Rose held up her hands in a placating gesture. "It's alright, Ymir. Phillip is trustworthy. You can drop the illusion and come out."

"Very well, but on your head be it." There was a sound of something huge shifting and Phillip watched in amazement as part of the forest in front of them seemed to pull away and change. Bark and leaves became skin and hair. Think branches transformed into burly arms. A knothole shifted and formed into a face! Phillip stood gaping at a creature he had only heard about in stories, a forest troll! The creature stood at least ten feet high and must have weighed close to 1,000 pounds. Its…his…muscular arms, covered with strange tattoos, reached down almost to his calves and ended in hands the size of the lid of a barrel! Each finger and toe was tipped with a thick black claw and up from a square jaw jutted two tusks, like those of a wild boar. A heavy brow-ridge partially hid two yellow eyes. Two long ears swiveled almost independently of their owner. A large nose took deep breathes, and the intensely muscled chest rose and fell like a living thing all its own. Green skin blended into the background and long black hair was tied in a topknot. It took all of Phillip's willpower not to faint at the sight of the creature.

Rose took off in a mad dash toward the creature and leapt, throwing her arms around his thick neck. "YMIR! I've missed you so much!"

Ymir wrapped one huge arm around Rose, relief flooding through him and chasing away his fears. "Rose, I was so worried. Please don't frighten me like that ever again. I don't think my heart can take it." A single glistening tear rolled down Ymir's cheek and splashed onto Rose's head.

Rose did what came naturally to her. She comforted her friend. "It's alright. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you so badly."

Phillip finally managed to find his tongue. "Rose, you're friends with a…a TROLL?"

Ymir snorted angrily at that. "Hey, I have a name, pal. It's Ymir, and I'll thank you to remember that!" Placing Rose back on the ground, Ymir walked up to the human male he easily towered over and eyed him head to foot. "This is the man who defeated the Mistress of Evil? Why, he's little more than a boy! I could raise my fist right now and…"

"Ymir, please stop terrorizing my fiancée. You've made enough of an impression."

"Aww, you never let me have any fun anymore." Ymir stalked back over to Rose. "You were a lot more fun before puberty set in, do you know that?" The huge troll sat down rather hard against the roots of a tree, causing a small tremor that knocked something out of the branches. It was the body of a rabbit. Moments after it fell, there was a loud screech and a very familiar-looking golden eagle swooped down and grabbed its prey before flying to a lower branch of the same tree to throw a peeved look at Ymir.

Phillip realized he'd seen this bird before. "Ah, so that eagle belongs to you, does it? I must admit, he's very well trained."

To the prince's shock, the bird spoke! "TRAINED?! I beg your pardon?!"

"The bird! It…it can TALK!"

"And certainly a good deal better than you do! If I wasn't so peace loving I'd…"

Rose held up a hand to calm the raptor down. "That's enough, Ayden. You've made your point." With an embarrassed shrug, she turned to Phillip. "You'll have to forgive Ayden. He doesn't like being talked about as if he were a pet." Rose noticed Phillip was still standing in the same spot he'd been in when Ymir had revealed himself. "Phillip, it's alright. They're perfectly safe. Ymir is my oldest and dearest friend. He's like a brother to me."

Phillip, deciding it best not to insult a creature easily twice his size, offered his hand to Ymir. "Phillip, son of Hubert, crown prince of Darcemia, at your service, sir."

Ymir stared at the hand the human male had extended toward him. Ymir's grandfather had only seen human men close-up five times in his life, and all those times, their hands had held a sword or some other weapon. This hand, however, held nothing. "What are you doing?"

Phillip seemed flustered by this question. "Well…it is customary at a first meeting to shake hands."

"…Why?"

"You know…I have absolutely no idea. Isn't that a laugh?"

Ayden scoffed. "Yeah, real funny. Do you know what some humans DO with their hands?" He took a moment to rip into his rabbit and pulled out a chunk of meat he immediately gulped down. "So unsanitary."

Ymir groaned at his friend's display. "Don't mind that feather duster in training. You know, Rose, before I forget, some of the others wanted to see you." He stood up and cupped his hands around his mouth. **"IT'S ALL RIGHT,"** he shouted. **"HE'S ON OUR SIDE! THERE'S NOTHING TO FEAR! THE HUMAN PRINCE IS ON OUR SIDE!"**

As the call echoed, the very forest seemed to come to life around the foursome. Creatures Phillip had only seen in his dreams began to appear, some changing into their true forms from common objects on the forest floor, and others appearing from thin air! Finally, Phillip sat down, afraid that much more would make him faint dead away. "Where…where did all of these creatures come from?"

Rose couldn't help herself. She laughed out loud. "They were standing right there the whole time, silly. They were just afraid to show themselves to you." The princess gasped as a tiny sprite landed on her nose and made a show of appearing and disappearing.

"_You don't see us, but now you do, but only if we WANT you to,"_ recited the little fairy before spreading his moth-like wings and fluttering off to join a group of other sprites.

Rose giggled at the little creature's antics. "Yes, you might not see them, but they're right here, up each day at the crack of dawn, making the flowers bloom, keeping the toadstools perky and decorating the dew drops." She sighed wistfully. "It was Ymir and his family who introduced me to this invisible world. Through them, I met all manner of creatures. They taught me to read, write, to speak to creatures with no grasp of human tongue. Over time, I garnered trust, and now, I am happy to say that the immortal creatures of this forest count me as a friend."

Phillip's wondering gaze at the creatures around him was broken by a loud snort from behind his head. He turned and started at the sight of what appeared to be an immense black stallion standing over him. He quickly realized, however, that this was no ordinary horse. Its hooves were cloven, like a bull's, its mane and tail were shining silver and from its forehead grew a single twisting horn. This…was a unicorn stallion.

"So," the great beast said, though his mouth didn't move. Phillip realized that he was hearing the voice of the unicorn in his own mind! "You are the one who has taken our Briar Rose away from us, are you?"

Phillip sputtered, "Well…when you put it like that, of course it sounds…"

"GOOD," the stallion laughed. "She's YOUR problem now! Maybe I'll finally re-grow some of the hair she's made fall out over the years!" This comment aroused hearty laughs from all the assembled creatures, and made Rose blush until her face resembled a beet.

"Check it out, everybody," yelled a pixie up in the branches. "Rose is BLUSHING! Excellent!"

Ymir gave a low chuckle. "I guess our little Rosie hasn't told you what a downright hellion she was as a child."

"I was not that bad," huffed the princess.

"She screeched at songbirds, chased after deer to pull their tails, splashed the otters in the river…"

"I grew out of it!"

"Oh, yes…about 10 years later!"

Rose huffed. "We all know YOU weren't a little angel, Ymir. Sneaking off from your parents at every chance, wrestling with Humphrey and every other bear you met…"

"Oh, you had to bring up Humphrey."

Rose giggled. "Oh, remember that dance you used to do when picking up the Fall leaves?" At once, both her and Ymir started singing, "First you take a leaf, put it in the sheath! Bum bum!" They bumped the sides of their hips together and almost fell in fits of laughter.

Phillip shifted uncomfortably, feeling out of place. A pixie perched on his head and curled up to take a nap. Near his feet, a couple of brownies sniffed at and poked his boots. When Phillip looked down at them, one looked up and in a little, scratchy voice said, "Iz good. Not as good as my make, but still good. Me make good leather pair, no holes, good price!"

"Uh...no thank you," the prince mumbled.

"Okay, me leave card..." A tiny piece of square parchment was stuck under the tongue of his right boot.

Once the two had calmed down from their fits of laughter, Rose clasped Ymir's huge hand and patted it lovingly. "Old friend, I wanted to ask if you and the others would be there on my wedding day. It would mean so much to me! You could use glamour and come in disguise. No one would ever know."

It was Ymir's turn to look uncomfortable. All traces of joviality left his rocky face. "Rosie, I'm not sure if I can do that. You see..." Turning his head from left to right slowly, he surveyed their surroundings. "Perhaps it'd be best to take our conversation somewhere a little more private."

Nodding her understanding, Rose took Phillip's hand and led him away from a chat between an elf and dwarf on what blades made the best weapons. The sleeping pixie sailed out of his locks with a startled, "Hurk!" and managed to hover before it would have hit the ground. The little fellow jabbered something in its own language that Phillip supposed was something that shouldn't be said around small children.

Ymir's hut was tidy on the inside, despite the roots crawling through the walls and the furniture that still had a few green leaves on it. The dirt floor had several hand woven, uneven rugs on it. Mainly they depicted stylized battles of trolls against fearsome monsters. Some were just non-patterns of lines and color made from scrap cloth. Although the home was clean, it was still packed full of novelties, such as etchings and paintings of family members, a tapestry on one wall depicting the forest and its supernatural denizens. Unlike the clean floor, the fireplace had an inch thick pile of ash in it. A black, round kettle hung above the cinders, empty for now. A crude yet powerful bow hung above the mantel. A quiver of arrows was leaning against the stone side of fireplace. In the shadows, a mouse squeaked and skirted into a hole.

Another room, separated only by a thin sheet, was adjacent to the den. If one peered in, one could see a thick mattress, stuffed full of straw and feathers, with blankets heaped upon it. An off white jug sat on a table next to the bed. Beside that was a washing dish filled with lukewarm water.

The troll hung up his hat and cloak while Ayden flew over to a low table and perched on the back of a chair. He shot a glare at the mouse hole, as if daring the rodent to come out again.

Ymir gestured for Rose and Phillip to take seats before him. They sat adjacent to Ayden and Ymir sat across from them. The troll didn't speak, but instead reached into a pocket and took out a pipe. He filled it, lit it, and let out a few thoughtful puffs. All the while, the others sat silent and waited. After a minute, he took it out and tapped it.

Finally, he spoke. "Would you like some tea?"

Rose shook her head. "No thank you." Hurriedly, she added, "What's the problem? Has something happened to your family?"

The troll frowned, but it wasn't in anger. It was a sad look; his lips turned down slightly and even his ears drooping. "No," he let out a heavy sigh. "Not since mother's death when I was a cub. But I worry..." He glanced at a wooden, hand carved cuckoo clock that hung on the wall above his head. "He won't be out this early, but by nightfall, he'll be riding."

"Who?" Rose fidgeted, her voice rising sharply. Phillip couldn't help but chuckle. She was cute when she was impatient.

"Gilcomgain." Ymir narrowed his eyes. "The fiercest hunter of them all!"

"A hunter?" Phillip interrupted. "But you'd scare any of the huntsmen my father employs! How could that possibly be a threat to you? No offense," he chuckled, "but you are a pretty frightening creature...When you want to be." He grinned,

Ymir had to smirk back. He liked this boy. Rosie had a good find here. "Oh, he isn't just any hunter, prince. He specializes in hunting, well, folks like myself. Even the noble griffins are afraid of him. The merfolk refuse to surface after the sun sets. Even that pesky red headed one who's always bugging me for human trinkets won't peek above the water.

"He was the same one who took my mother from me." Ymir sighed again, looking away from Rose's tear filled eyes. "We've always dealt with his kind, but never before have we encountered such a...such a monster!" He growled under his breath.

Rose furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip in thought. Her sadness had to take a back seat. Right now she knew she had to think of a way to help her friend. "He's mortal, isn't he? I can't see an immortal hunting his own kind. Even Maleficent never tried to outright kill the three good fairies."

"Yes," Phillip scoffed. "She had her goons and bird to do that."

Ayden shrugged a wing. "We don't know. None of us have ever even seen his face. He wears a mask and hood. He appears and disappears like magic. Not even Queen Zurline can find him, and she's the best Seer in the forest!""

Ymir took the narrative again. "One thing we know for sure: He's smart. He knows how to bring down any magic creature he hunts. Unicorn hair lassos, wolfs bane wrapped around silver tipped arrows, sea salt bombs... He knows every trick and has every tool. And I have no idea how he got that information. Someone had to tell him our weaknesses..."

Phillip turned to Aurora. "Rosie, do your aunts know anything about him? Maybe they can figure out a weakness."

"I would think they would have mentioned him by now," the princess answered. "But, then again, they had a different evil to worry about."

"I wouldn't bother them about it," Ymir interjected. "The Hunter isn't interested with the likes of them. He wants creatures your kind perceive as monsters."

"So he can justify it!" Rose gasped. "He probably hails himself as a hero! A valiant dragon slayer!" She paused. "No offense Phillip."

"None taken."

Slamming her fist into her other open palm, Rose declared, "Phillip, we can't sit by and let this continue to happen! These creatures are part of our country, and therefore under our protection! They deserve to be watched over and cared for like any of our subjects!"

Ayden squawked a raspy laugh. "Now there's the fire filled Rosie we know and love!"

Springing up, Ymir waved his hands. "Wait, wait! I never meant to drag you two into this! I just had to explain..."

"We can't just stand by and let our subjects be tortured and slaughtered!" Pushing herself up, Rose couldn't meet him eye to eye. She'd had to settle for eye to mid belly. Jerking her chin up, she gave him a defiant stare. "Phillip has had his experience fighting the darkest fairy known to these woods. I know he'll gladly fight for you."

Phillip gave a grin and a shrug behind her. "I guess I've been spoken for."

"And I'm not about to sleep through this battle." She softened and smiled. "You're my oldest friend, Ymir." She clasped his hand. "And a truer friend I could never ask for. I will always stick by you and fight for you, just as I know you would do for me."

"You know I always will."

"Oh boy!" Ayden flapped his wings in excitement. "An epic quest! You know what this means!" His perfect gaze dashed to the royal couple. "You get to meet more of our friends!"

Not long after, Rose and Phillip were making their way back to Stefan's kingdom. Phillip paused to adjust the new sword belt he was wearing. "Nice of Ymir to give me back my sword. I thought it was stuck at the bottom of that cliff forever."

"You shouldn't leave things like that lying around where anyone can find them," Rose said. "That sword is made of Star Metal. It has incredible mystic properties. The fact he gave it back shows he trusts you more than most here would be willing to."

Phillip stared at the runic markings covering the scabbard Ymir had given him. He realized he still had a great deal to learn about the world Rose had grown up in. "So…tell me about this council Ymir was talking about."

Rose paused and looked into a thicket where a mother esquilax was nursing her baby. She giggled as the little creature attempted to stand for the first time and fell down onto his rump. As she walked on, she explained. "The Council of Immortals is made up of the leaders of all the immortal beings. They meet every so often to discuss important issues to the magical world. Ymir is going to speak to the current Council Head, King Lorengorm, to see if they won't allow us to speak."

"King who?"

"Lorengorm. He rules the tribe of elves who live in this forest. He knows me, so getting him to agree shouldn't be a problem. Ymir promised to contact me when he has news." Rose took this opportunity to stare at the new bracelet that adorned her left wrist. It was made of silver and white gold and set into it was a large sapphire. This was gift Ymir had worked so hard on.

"_If you ever need me,"_ Ymir had said, _"Simply touch the gemstone and think of me. No matter where I am, I will hear you and I will come."_

Rose smiled at the thought Ymir had obviously put into the gift, but she quickly realized something was wrong. "Phillip, do you hear what I hear?"

"What?" Phillip listened carefully. "Rose, I'm afraid I don't hear anything."

"EXACTLY! No birds, no insects, nothing! The whole forest has gone quiet. That's not normal." Rose's thoughts were interrupted as a figure dropped from the trees overhead and tackled her to the ground! Phillip moved to help, but was similarly disabled by a second figure. Before either could try to fight back, they were tied to a tree. Phillip only now realized their attackers were human men.

"Well," the first man said, the words slightly muffled by the mask that hid his features, "We set our trap for an esquilax, and we get the prince AND his betrothed instead. The boss will reward us handsomely for this."

"Indeed," said his similarly garbed companion. "Gilcomgain's wanted you out of the way for a long time, Phillip."

Phillip ceased his struggles at the sound of the name. "Gilcomgain? The Hunter? What could he possibly want with me?"

The first man laughed. "That's for us to know and you to find out. Too bad you won't live long enough to find out. You see, there's a VERY hungry bear on her way here right now. You two would make a fine meal for her I daresay." Laughing in a manner that would have given even a hyena chills, the two men pulled identical gems from their pockets and disappeared. It was then that Rose and Phillip heard the growling.

The bear sow was huge, rivaling even Ymir in size. She reared up onto her hind legs and let out an immense roar, clawing at the air with her front paws. Now, just so you people don't get the wrong ideas about bears, I feel at this point I should say that most bears would never think of attacking humans for food unless hunger had made them desperate. Unfortunately, this was just the case of the old she-bear. She had only awoken from her hibernation two weeks ago, and was still very hungry after spending the long winter asleep in her den. To her, anything looked like food, and two bound humans would provide her with much needed protein.

Rose finally found her voice again and cried out, "COME TO ME, YE ULDRAS OF THE WILD LANDS!" She gave a shrill whistle that echoed through the woods.

Phillip, who just an hour ago thought nothing would ever surprise him again, received another shock as two tiny men dressed in clothing made of leather and gray fur popped out of the leaf litter before him and began to shout and wave their arms at the bear, forcing her to drop back on all fours. A third man dropped from the branches and landed next to the two young lovers, stroking the snow-white beard on his chin as he regarded them. Finally, he asked in a gravelly voice, "Who are you who call upon the uldras as if you knew us? How do you know the call?"

Rose replied, "I am a friend of your cousins to the west, a friend of the healer, Klaus."

The lead uldra climbed the ropes until his pointed ear was level with Rose's mouth. "Whisper the uldra password." Rose whispered something to the little fellow that Phillip couldn't make out, but it seemed to work. The uldra nodded, cut the ropes with his dagger, and moved to face the bear. "These humans are under our protection, Sister Bear. Seek your dinner elsewhere." Just like that, the bear sow turned and walked away. The lead uldra turned to his two compatriots. "See to it she finds a stream with a good supply of fish, would you, my friends?" He then turned toward the trees and disappeared. "You two should head for home quick as you can," came his voice. "My people will clear the path for you."

Meanwhile, a figure watched the entire exchange going on in a crystal ball. "So…" he said to himself, "We can no longer deal with Prince Phillip so easily, for his new bride has friends among the immortals. A momentary loss, I feel. They will soon find that the Hunter is never without a backup plan."

_To be continued…_

**Mythological Files: **_For those not familiar with more obscure creatures of folklore._

**Esquilax:** A creature of European folklore. Resembles a horse with the head of a rabbit.

**Uldra:** Small, dwarf-like creatures native to northern forests. They are guardians of large animals such as moose, boar, musk oxen and wolves. All creatures know and respect uldras.


End file.
